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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28728231">Breaking the Silence</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShatteredRose/pseuds/TheShatteredRose'>TheShatteredRose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Etrian Odyssey Series, 新・世界樹の迷宮2 ファフニールの騎士 | Etrian Odyssey Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Oneshot, guest cts appearances, out of my wip file you go</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:08:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,832</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28728231</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShatteredRose/pseuds/TheShatteredRose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Flavio is cursed. Unable to speak until the conditions of the dark spell are met. The ever indifferent and relatively unhelpful Mahogany of the Guardians suggest they use the True Love method.</p>
<p>{Pairings: Fafnir/Flavio with guest appearances of Lynus and Mahogany from the CtS Series/Guardians guild}</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fafnir Knight/Flavio</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Breaking the Silence</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Notes: Set in EOUntold2 with guest appearances of Lynus and Mahogany from the CtS Series/Guardians guild.</p>
<p>AN: Been a while since I wrote a oneshot, let alone a Fafnir/Flavio one. Well, here we are. Enjoy~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Flavio sat awkwardly in the inn’s tea room. The fire was blazing, as it usually was that late afternoon, and the chairs were as comfortable as ever. Yet, he shifted awkwardly in his seat. The need to set upon his feet and pace was overwhelming, but he stayed put. </p>
<p>He could barely comprehend what he had just learnt from the sympathetic medic and indifferent hexer that sat across from him. He opened his mouth in an attempt to ask them to please repeat what they had just revealed. But nothing would come out. No words would pass his lips.</p>
<p>And if they were right, no more words would pass his lips until the curse he had been cast upon him had its conditions met.</p>
<p>“Mind running that pass me again?” Fafnir thankfully asked from where he sat next to Flavio. Asking the words Flavio himself could not.</p>
<p>Lynus, the gentle medic, sent Fafnir another purely sympathetic look. “It’s a curse,” he replied bluntly. “A curse that is preventing Flavio from speaking. It’s an…unusual one, I will admit. But a curse nevertheless.”</p>
<p>“A curse is merely a dark spell,” Mahogany, the far too nonchalant hexer added. “Conditions need to be met before the curse can be lifted.”</p>
<p>“Yes, we understand that much,” Fafnir returned, perhaps too tersely at that. “But what are those conditions?”</p>
<p>Lynus opened his mouth, no doubt ready to give them a comforting and reassuring response. However, Mahogany spoke up before he had the chance.</p>
<p>“No idea. May have something to do with true love or something similar.”</p>
<p>Lynus closed his eyes and uttered a silent sigh of mild frustration while Mahogany continued to stare at both Flavio and Fafnir with aggravating indifference.</p>
<p>Flavio had to admit that he felt his eye twitch in annoyance, too. Hexers truly were a breed of their own. </p>
<p>“This isn’t a fairy tale,” Fafnir returned, his own frustration barely restrained. </p>
<p>“No, it’s a dark spell,” Mahogany quipped in response. “Lynus may be able to learn the conditions through examination and healing, but there’s no harm in trying the whole “true love breaking the spell” that fairy tales are fond of.”</p>
<p>Fafnir glared at Mahogany for a moment longer. And yet, his expression unexpectedly took on a thoughtful turn; his head tilted slightly to the side, the corner of his lip slightly unturned, and his eyes holding a faraway gaze.</p>
<p>He was considering something.</p>
<p>He…wasn’t actually considering what Mahogany said, was he?</p>
<p>Lynus pushed himself to his feet, that ever present gentle expression of comfort on his face. “I’ll do some more research. And we’ll leave the two of you for a moment to truly comprehend your…situation.”</p>
<p>Flavio attempted the thank the ever-considerate medic, only to snap his mouth shut a moment later. Yep, he still couldn’t talk.</p>
<p>And for someone who liked to chatter when nervous or uneasy, his foreseeable future was going to be difficult.</p>
<p>Lynus sent him another sympathetic look as he snared Mahogany by his elbow and prompted him to follow him from the room. The hexer followed, still far too casual and nonchalant. Something that Flavio found silently annoying.</p>
<p>Wait, not silently, that was a slip up.</p>
<p>…Gah, he was going to be finding a lot of things silently annoying, wasn’t he?</p>
<p>“Do consider the True Love Method,” Mahogany casually threw over his shoulder.</p>
<p>When the two members of the Guardian guild left the room, they shut the door behind them. </p>
<p>And silence followed.</p>
<p>Silence…</p>
<p>Silence had never been so loud. Flavio never paid much attention to the noises found in solitude. The crackling fire. The rustling of leaves from the wind outside the window.</p>
<p>The sound of Fafnir breathing next to him.</p>
<p>Instinctively, Flavio reached up with his hand to gingerly touch his neck. There was nothing there for him to feel. No markings. He didn’t even have a sore throat.</p>
<p>Visibly, physically, there was nothing there.</p>
<p>But something was stopping his voice dead.</p>
<p>Unable to speak was sure to cause trouble in the labyrinth, right? Was he going to be a burden in future expeditions?</p>
<p>“You’re not going to be a burden,” Fafnir suddenly stated, responding as if he had just read his mind.</p>
<p>Flavio felt a sudden spike of panic. Had he just read his mind? Did he have that ability? Was that another skill of the Fafnir knight? What else did he-?</p>
<p>“I can’t read your mind,” Fafnir interrupted his thoughts, suspiciously responding as if he really had just read his mind. “I just know what you’re thinking. Everyone else comes first. First thought was bound to be musing about what trouble you could cause. And the answer is none.”</p>
<p>Flavio blinked. In that moment, he was grateful that he was unable to speak. He hadn’t a clue what to say.</p>
<p>A part of him was genuinely happy that Fafnir knew him so well. While another part of him was disgruntled that Fafnir knew him so well.</p>
<p>But, not being able to speak in an environment that could turn deadly within seconds, an environment that a life of a teammate could be saved with a word of warning, was going to make things difficult. There was no way around it.</p>
<p>Flavio was the survivalist of the team. His job was to keep an eye on their surroundings. To warn his teammates of any threat. And the quickest, easiest way to do just that was to speak. It was how they worked together. They didn’t have time to re-establish their formation to integrate his new and sudden form of mutism. </p>
<p>He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if something happened to one of his teammates because he was unable to warn them in time.</p>
<p>If something happened to Fafnir…</p>
<p>He…had better find a way to restore his voice. And he had better find it quickly.</p>
<p>“As much as that hexer annoys me, he may be onto something,” Fafnir unexpectedly stated, his voice quickly pulling Flavio from his musings.</p>
<p>Flavio furrowed his brow and tilted his head questioningly to the side as he stared at Fafnir.</p>
<p>“You want your voice back as quickly as possible, right?” Fafnir asked him.</p>
<p>That much was obvious, but Flavio nodded his head nevertheless.</p>
<p>Fafnir shifted in his seat, pivoting to face him. Flavio instinctively did the same. Somewhat startled by the intensity of Fafnir’s eyes.</p>
<p>“Can I try something?” Fafnir asked quietly.</p>
<p>Once more inwardly thankful that he was unable to speak, Flavio nodded his head.</p>
<p>Fafnir raised his hand and gently placed it against Flavio’s cheek. The touch was gentle, and it prompted Flavio to draw in a sharp intake of air. He was certain that his eyes widened slightly, but he did not turn away.</p>
<p>Flavio felt his heartrate increase when Fafnir slowly leaned forward. His face moving toward his. </p>
<p>The world around them faded as Flavio’s eyes closed on their own accord and his body moved forward on its own, intent on meeting Fafnir half way.</p>
<p>Fafnir’s lips touched his, tentatively at first, but became emboldened when Flavio pressed forward. As Fafnir pressed his lips, his mouth melding against his, heatedly and yet warmly, a strange tightness that Flavio didn’t realise he had against the back of his neck suddenly dissipated. </p>
<p>It was an odd sensation, but highly insignificant compared to the feeling that Fafnir was lighting within him.</p>
<p>Flavio paid little attention to the very audible sigh he murmured as he tilted his head to the side ever so slightly. The angle allowing for Fafnir to thread his fingers through his hair. And to deepen the kiss further.</p>
<p>He was so deeply lost within the sensation of Fafnir kissing him that he hadn’t realised that he had also pulled him closer. Half on his lap and half of the couch they sat upon.</p>
<p>And he hadn’t realised that he wrapped his own arms around Fafnir’s neck until he heard a sound. A sharp sound. A telling sound of someone clearing their throat.</p>
<p>With an “eep!” of surprise, another sound he emitted that he paid little attention to, Flavio all but tore his lips away from Fafnir’s incessant ones. And stared wide-eyed at the now open door to the tea room. A doorway that held two familiar individuals.</p>
<p>Flavio was rendered speechless. And yet, he felt that it wasn’t because of the curse. But of pure embarrassment!</p>
<p>The right thing to do was the scramble off of Fafnir’s lap and splutter something in response. Some kind of excuse to explain the all-too scandalous situation.</p>
<p>But he couldn’t move. No, he didn’t want to move.</p>
<p>Perhaps he was too shocked. Too comfortable. Or too unwilling to end the very thing he had wanted for so long.</p>
<p>Annoyingly, Mahogany looked smug, yet still indifferent. Smugly indifferent? Was that possible?</p>
<p>Wait, no, there was more pressing concerns to attend with. Namely just how much did they, ah, see?</p>
<p>“Everything,” Mahogany replied. Yet another person who answered his unspoken words. “And I was right.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah,” Fafnir returned sharply, doing nothing to hide his annoyance. “You can gloat later. We’re busy right now.”</p>
<p>Flavio felt his blush deepen, but still, he did nothing to pull him away from Fafnir. Not that he could even if he wanted to; Fafnir had tightened his arms around him, ensuring that he wouldn’t scramble away.</p>
<p>“B-but the curse…?” Flavio suddenly asked.</p>
<p>And his eyes widened a fraction later when he heard his own voice.</p>
<p>His voice was back?</p>
<p>“The curse seems to have been lifted,” Lynus explained, he, too, unexpectedly unbothered by the situation. </p>
<p>As if wasn’t the first time he walked in on someone, ah, making out.</p>
<p>“And we’ll leave you be,” Lynus continued, a small smile on his lips. “Just wished to let you know that whoever placed that curse upon you, Flavio, appears to be attempting to play matchmaker. Lucky for them, it seemed to have worked.”</p>
<p>Lucky for them, indeed.</p>
<p>Whoever they were.</p>
<p>Though, it was unsettling that someone would go to such…extremes. Was he just a test run? Where they just feeling bored? </p>
<p>Did they even care?</p>
<p>“There’s going to be a spate of cursed mutes, isn’t there?” Flavio mused allowed.</p>
<p>“Probably,” Lynus replied with a sigh. He then took Mahogany by the elbow once more. “Dinner will be ready in an hour. You may wish to move yourself to a more…private setting.”</p>
<p>With that said, Lynus offered them another smile before he pulled Mahogany from the room and promptly closed the door.</p>
<p>The second the door made an audible click to indicate that it had been closed, Fafnir took Flavio by the chin. “Where were we?” he asked.</p>
<p>He, however, didn’t want for an answer as he immediately pulled Flavio closer and kissed him once more.</p>
<p>While Flavio was grateful that he had his voice back, he was also intently pleased that he wasn’t going to be needing to use it for a while.</p>
<p>Well, not use it in a normal sense, that was.</p>
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